Description and review of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, held annually at Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park.
A friend and I recently enjoyed a beautiful summer evening at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. It was the first time either of us had attended the event. The performance that evening was Twelfth Night, a romantic comedy.
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A Bit of Background
This year is the 53rd season of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival! You know the saying “location, location, location” when it comes to real estate – this saying also applies to the location of this special event held in July – August. Live theater under the stars, with the moon overhead, with Lake Tahoe illuminated behind the stage makes for a truly magical setting.
Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park is approximately 125 miles (2 hours, 15 minutes) from Sacramento.
Note: As with all outdoor venues, it pays to pay attention to the weather. Consider a hat for the late afternoon/early evening before the sun sets, and a jacket for after sunset when it cools off.
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival Logistics
Entrance Pass/Parking
A Nevada State Parks Entrance Pass is required to gain access to and park at the venue. The $10 per vehicle pass, purchased in advance online, provides entry to the Sand Harbor Nevada State Park after 5:00 p.m. on the date listed on the pass.
Entrance passes purchased on-site the day of an event are $10/per vehicle, per day for in-state license plate vehicles and $15 per vehicle, per day, for out-of-state license plates.
Note: Parking is first-come, first served. We arrived at the park entrance road a few minutes prior to 5:00 p.m. to find a line of cars already forming. As we got closer to the entrance, we were waved through to a separate entry point after showing our pre-purchased entrance pass. Parking was easy, and I noted as we were parking groups who had obviously spent the day at the beach getting ready to depart, thus opening additional parking spots.
Later, I also noted that some patrons arrived close to curtain time, no doubt experienced festival attendees, but I was glad we arrived early so that we could enjoy the pre-show venue.
Venue Entrance
After exiting the parking area, we made our way to the venue entrance. We were each given a wrist band that allowed us to exit and reenter the venue. The restrooms were located immediately outside the gate.
Seating
The festival offers a variety of seating at different price points. As this was our first time attending the festival, we opted to purchase “Premium” seats, the price of which included assigned seating and food and beverage wait service. Premium seating is both close to the stage and on a level surface. Would I pay for Premium seating again? The answer is yes.
The upper, general admission seating area is located on a sandy hillside with great views. However, it appears to be less than ideal if you are not wearing appropriate footwear or have mobility issues.
Volunteers and wait staff at the festival were all friendly and accommodating.
Food & Beverage
Food and beverage are available for purchase at the venue. Shakespeare’s Kitchen by Brimm’s Catering is located nearby the venue entry. There are also picnic tables in the area should one choose to enjoy a meal before the performance.
You can bring food and drink into the venue, but pay close attention to the restrictions regarding coolers, size of totes, etc.
We had brought snacks with us (cheese, crackers, etc.) but we did purchase wine to enjoy during the performance. Chatting with near seatmates, those who ordered food at the venue gave the quality of the food high marks.
Twelfth Night Review
The performance of Twelfth Night was very well done. The costumes were of high quality; the actors were professional and the performance top notch. The sound system was excellent, ensuring that everyone in attendance could hear the dialogue.
To Sum Up
To sum up, we both enjoyed the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, and plan to make attendance an annual event.
See related blog post: Sacramento Shakespeare Festival
Comments on Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival?
Have you attended this event recently? What was your experience?
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival Snapshot:
- Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park
- 2005 Highway 28, Incline Village, NV 89451
- (800) 747-4697 (tickets)
Directions:
- Take I-80 east toward Reno
- Take the Truckee Exit #188B toward North Lake Tahoe/Kings Beach, Highway 267 S
- Travel over Highway 267 12 miles to stop sign
- Turn east (left) onto Highway 28
- Go through Kings Beach, Crystal Bay, and Incline Village toward Sand Harbor (approximately 11 miles)
- Sand Harbor is located on the right side of Highway 28 (use the second entrance to Sand Harbor, not the boat entrance)
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